Porsche shows off its hybrid 911 racer

%Gallery-85221%

Porsche has just released pictures of the first ever 911 hybrid, a GT3 R racer that will be competing at the Nurburgring 24 hours in May.

The hybrid technology will not make the car highly efficient – the GT3 R will still contain a 4.0-litre flat-six petrol engine, although it will also carry two 60kw electric motors that will power the front wheels. The combination allows the car to offer the stability and traction of four wheel drive.

Instead of the batteries that usually power a hybrid, a flywheel generator is mounted in the cockpit next to the driver to boost the motors. It harbours the energy lost through braking, and then allows the driver more power for up to 8 seconds after each charge.